Sometimes talking about ice cream is exactly what you need to de-stress from a hard week. Room in the Inn is an organization that helps to house the homeless all year round. Brentwood Baptist is a host for 36 men every Monday night from the beginning of October to the end of March and other times as requested. They have a dedicated part of their building for this purpose. They have 36 beds, washers, dryers, a cafeteria, chef, dining hall, and most importantly volunteers who love to help.
Each Monday the volunteers start preparing at 3 o’clock for the arrival of the 36 men they will serve that night. They are not allowed to serve women and men both, and since there is more of a need for men’s housing, Brentwood thought it was best to serve the men. At 3 o’clock the volunteers arrive and inflate all the beds, make the meal for the night, pack lunches for the next day, get the clothing donations ready, and then wait for their arrival at 6:30. When the men do arrive on the buses they are greeted by a line of volunteers and then they are allowed to change into a pair of scrubs to get their clothes washed. After this, the men go to dinner.
This is where we came in — three girls on a mission to make the men smile. We went to the dining hall to sit and talk with all the men. By this time, they had already had their dinner and were on dessert. When I went with my mom to sit at a table we both started talking to these two men about ice cream. Yes, that is my favorite dessert and a great subject to talk about, but it was a special topic because this man soon started giving me advice. He knew my mom and I were close by this special bond that was created between us when my parent’s divorced. He told me things that I always knew were true but never wanted to admit. My mom and I are sisters. In God’s eyes, we are, and to everyone else in the world we are so close and it so special to have that bond with your mom. Most teens never do. This man showed me something that I always knew, and that conversation started with talking about ice cream,
Human connection is so important. I am so thankful for the life we are able to live and the difference talking to someone can make.